Leading and Learning with Diverse Families in Schools: Critical Epistemology amid Communities of Practice

Abstract

In this article, we draw on critical philosophies and theories related to diversity, leadership, and learning to suggest that successful school–family partnerships not only encompass collaborative structures but involve educators who reject deficit-based views of diverse families. We marshal data from our studies of school–family relations in two states to explain the benefits of educational leaders developing a critical epistemological stance that compels them to learn and lead with diverse families. We assert that educators must revisit, rethink, and extend what they know about families’ strengths and limitations and reconsider the nature of leadership and learning to build partnerships amid communities of practice.